Comedienne Opens Up About Abuse In Inspirational Instagram Post

Los Angeles-based comedienne, Beth Stelling, broke the silence and shared her story of domestic and sexual abuse in a powerful Instagram collage that has gone viral.

Beth Stelling is a comedic star on the rise with a hit standup record and upcoming Comedy Central special under her belt, but there is so much more to her than meets the eye and she recently revealed an unknown part of her in a powerful Instagram post.

Stelling endured physical, verbal and sexual abuse during her past relationship with fellow comedian, Cale Hartmann, who deleted his Instagram and Twitter accounts after Stelling posted a photo collage of bruises all over her legs and arms from one of his attacks.

“There are many reasons not to make an abusive relationship public, mostly fear,” she wrote in the caption. “Scared of what people will think, scared it makes me look weak or unprofessional.”

“When friends or comics ask why we broke up it's not easy or comfortable to reply; it doesn't seem like the appropriate thing to say at a stand-up show, a party or a wedding. It's embarrassing. I feel stupid. After being verbally, physically abused and raped, I dated him for two more months. It's not simple.”

"I don't want revenge or to hurt him now, but it's unhealthy to keep this inside because my stand-up is pulled directly from my life," she wrote. "It's how I make my living. My personal is my professional."

Since posting her collage, Stelling has received an outpouring of support and solidarity through social media.

One by one and the silence is gone. Well done. Comedian Beth Stelling speaks out about her abusive relationship https://t.co/7QG9MHZash

Although this will now be a part of her identity to the public and those who didn’t know her name before will now associate her with this post and the abuse, it won’t stifle her career or growth. Her honesty and bravery in the post don’t make her look weak or like a victim. She simply reclaimed her body, her life and her story.